Bibliography

AM2 BASIC

Review: Michael Lavin, Ph.D.

John (www.goldenageguitars.com),

My wife loves the guitar. She was kind enough to let me play it too. It is a miracle of an instrument. The intonation is perfect and it has a delightful mellifluous woody sound. It is a sweet tone that I associate with the stupendous instruments made by Linda Manzer. The guitar’s action was killer. The guitar was free of any dead spots when I played scales and chords up and down the neck to test it. I was in shock that a guitar could sound so wonderful before it had been played a few months. Although the action is low, the guitar is a buzz free zone. It remained buzz free even when I played it with a rubber pick to see how it withstood a stronger attack.

Reidel, as my wife calls her, is also a pretty guitar. Mr. Melo did an astonishing job with the guitar’s finish. He made the mahogany attractive with its finish. The neck is handsome, as are the gold tuners with ebony covers. The upgrade on the top is indeed eye catching and gorgeous in its sound. I’ve NEVER been so completely pleased with a guitar in my life, nor has my wife. To add to it, my wife and I love the exclamation-mark case. I was especially pleased with its grey color. Too many makers seem to forget that black cases become ovens if left in the sun.

Thank you for bringing a genius luthier’s guitars to the states. all the best, mike

Michael Lavin, Ph.D.

EM3 SUPREME

Review: Michael Lowe

Hi Mr Melo,

I have admired your guitars for some time, but haven’t had pleasure to own one. I’ve played guitar for many years, primarily Jazz, and a couple years ago started to seriously play the drums (at 41 years old!). I moved to NYC and have not played much guitar since then.

Recently I started to think about selling my “x” custom electric archie archtop, originally for financial reasons, and went to Golden Age Guitars to talk to John about it. Well I played a number of guitars, and didn’t find anything that I liked as much as my “x” (I wasn’t looking for a larger archtop, but I sure did see the BEAUTIFUL full size models of yours)… I was about to leave when I saw that he had a used EM3, I picked it up and immediately fell in love with it… I ended up trading my “x” for it!

My new EM3 has inspired a whole new relationship with the guitar after more than 30 years playing, and I have started playing seriously again. After many years of playing and owning MANY guitars, including some very fine ones and a couple custom guitars made for me like the “x”, somehow the EM3 is the first guitar that truly feels like “my” guitar. I have made guitars myself (classical) so I can appreciate you superlative craftsmanship, but there is something uncommonly special about this guitar that is more than craft… it is pure art. I can’t tell you how much I love this instrument, and how thankful I am to have it. It has the voice that I have sought for so many years, and it is incredible to find an instrument that gives you exactly the voice you hear inside.

Just wanted to write and say thank you –thank you!!– and to let you know there is now another person in the world playing and loving one of your guitars. If you have any sort of mailing list, i would like to be added.

Best,

Michael Lowe
Brooklyn, NY.

JM3 DELUXE

Review: Bob Spooner

Dear Mr. Melo:

I purchased a JM3 Deluxe Custom 017.6001 A006 guitar from Golden Age Instruments just over one and one half years ago. I have waited to comment on the guitar until I have had time to get familiar with the set up, type of strings, and amp settings that work best for this guitar. After having time to get over the excitement of a new guitar and being able to play the guitar for a period of time, my impression is that this is an amazing guitar.

I have many fine instruments. One of the guitars I own is a Gibson L5CES, which is a fine guitar. However, I was looking for an archtop guitar that had more accoustic properties and was responsive to subtle playing techniques. The JM3 just “comes alive” when played. And, it just sounds better the more I play it. It sounds great both as an accoustic guitar and using the pickup through an amp.

As I mentioned, I have a collection of very fine guitars. However, if I could keep only one guitar of the collection it would be the Melo JM3.

Thank you for such a fine instrument that has enhanced the quality of my life. It brings me great pleasure to play the guitar, and listeners enjoy it as well.

Thank you again for building such great instruments.

Sincerely

Bob Spooner

JM3 SUPREME

Review: Dario Roco

Dear Josep,

You guitar is beautiful and there are some very smart features (like the possibility to raise the tailpiece or to make the longer scale and the removable pickguard). It is not yet as loud as I would like but I believe the guitar will “open up” in time like flat tops do, and I still have to “discover” all the possibilities offered by the different tailpiece positions (by the way, in which position will be increased the volume/loudness of the instrument). A superb guitar anyhow. So, here we go:

FEATURES :
This guitar is a 2004 JM3 arch top guitar in European Spruce top and European Maple back, sides and neck. Fingerboard, bridge, pickguard and tailpiece are in Ebony and it has Grover Rotomatic tuning machines with ebony knobs. Non cutaway, 18″ body and D’Aquisto “Solo” style soundholes. This guitar is as good an instrument as it is from the visual point of view.

SOUND:
The JM3 has a very balanced sound and a very beautiful tone. Being brand new is not yet very loud, but excels both in fingerpicking and strumming. Overall, a very fine guitar, with mostly jazz character.

ACTION, FIT AND FINISH:
The guitar is finished with nitrocellulose lacquer and in Amber color, which gives beautiful appearance to both the maple and the bear claw spruce. The workmanship is flawless and the playability is superb. Action and scale length can be modified,thus having the possibility to adjust them to the player needs and tastes.

RELIABILITY/DURABILITY:
Josep Melo guitars are built with state of the art techniques and with very good craftmanship. It’s brand new but I have no doubts on its reliability and durability.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT:
Josep Melo is not only an excellent guitar builder, he is very professional as well as supportive in relationships with customers. All details of the guitar were extensively discussed and agreed with him, both by phone and e-mail, before starting construction.

OVERALL RATING:
Josep Melo guitars are among the best built today. The quality of the work and of the materials are first class and I am sure his flat tops and classicals guitars are first class as well. I recommend this builder without hesitation.

Hope is ok, Josep,
muchas gracias and best regards

Dario Ronco